“The chuppah, or bridal canopy, isone of the most symbolic and impor-tant (of the traditions that define aJewish wedding ceremony),” says rab-bibarbara.com. “The canopy itselfis a symbol of God’s love above themarried couple as well as the homethat they will now share as husbandand wife. The traditional chuppah(dating back to the 1300s) featuresopen sky above to acknowledge Godas Creator, who infuses marriage withdeep spirituality and cosmic signifi-cance, while the chuppah’s four opensides symbolize the open horizonsthat the couple will share in marriedlife together. For all of these reasons,it is most meaningful for Jewish wed-dings to be held outdoors with bluesky above, and below, a surroundingpanorama of natural creation.”Dancing the Hora is one of themost iconic parts of many Jewishweddings. “For me, one of the mostfun customs is dancing the Hora,”says recent bride Sarah Einstein. “It’sa simple dance and easy to teach toanyone at the wedding who doesn’talready know it. It’s also joyful, andthere is something lovely about hav-ing almost everyone dancing togeth-er.”During the Hora, the wedding par-ty and guests lift the bride and groom,in chairs, and everyone dances. Thecouple stays connected by holding ahandkerchief together, symbolizingtheir bond. The tricks to safety hereare strong chair-lifters and sturdy fur-niture!

Jewish weddings might also include
the recitation of seven blessings, the
drinking of ceremonial wine, and the
reading of the Ketubah, which outlines what the groom’s responsibilities are to his new partner.

Latin American weddings

Again, the Post Institute warns,we can’t assume anything about LatinAmerican weddings (or any weddingreally), because practices differ bycountry, region, and family. “A LatinAmerican wedding will differ greatlydepending on which Spanish-speak-ing country the traditions are basedin, but in general the day is color-ful and very festive,” the article says.“Depending on the couple’s religiousviews, weddings (may) have a heavyCatholic influence.”In one tradition, a lazo, often arosary or silk cord, is symbolicallydraped around the necks of the brideand groom, and “the couple will wearit for the remainder of the ceremony

theMEDISPA: where SCIENCE and BEAUTY connect

Andrew P. Giacobbe, mdfacs

BOARD CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON

Member Of The American Society For Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
Member Of The American Society Of Plastic Surgeons